The excursion termination № 2, the bus 259 to the underground the Neva avenue.

Walking tour № 3. The excursion beginning M. Nevskiy Prospekt

The Duma Tower

Arch. D.Ferrari (1799-1804), Nevskiy prospekt, 33

The City Duma building was the center of local government 1786-1918.

The Duma Tower seen on the left, was built 1799-1804 as a watchtower for fires. Ironically the tower was severely damaged by fire itself in 1998, but has since been restored.

The adjacent building on the left of the tower is the Municipal Assembly or Duma itself with its numerous offices and the Grand Assembly Hall. The original 18th century building was redesigned in the neo Renaissance style by Nikolai Efimov and rebuilt between 1847 and 1852. Some additional reconstruction work was also done in 1913. Low fourth floor level was added in 1914.

The Zinger Company Building (House of Books)

Arch. P. Suzor (1902-1904), Nevskiy prospekt, 62

Singer building in St. Petersburg is a historical and architectural heritage building and owned by the federal government. Seven-storey building, built in modern style (1902-1904) for «Singer» manufacturing company, occupies about 7000 square meters. Management of «Singer» corporation wanted to build a skyscraper, similar to the «Singer» building in New York City, but it was not allowed to build houses more than 22 m tall in the center of St. Petersburg. The architect constructed a tower with a globe made of glass on the top that made an impression of a «Skyscraper», but didn ' t block the view on other important buildings of the city center.

Arch. С Rossi, art. V. Demut-Malinovskiy, S.Pimenov (1819-   1825)

Inzhenernaya ulitsa, 4

14. The State Russian Museum (Mikhaylovskiy Palace)

All the buildings surrounding this square accommodate museums or theaters of some kind. To orient yourself, stand facing the front of the sculpture to Pushkin. On your left stands the yellow Maly Opera and Ballet Theater, named after the Russian composer Musorgsky. Designed by Alexander Bryullov, it opened in 1833. The internationally renowned dance company performs to the music of the world's most beloved ballets during the regular season.

If you look ahead, you will see the Russian Museum. While the world-famous Hermitage houses Russia's greatest collection of international art, this gallery retains solely the great works of the country's own painters and sculptors. These were collected by the czars over the centuries of their rule. The architect Carlo Rossi originally designed the building for the brother of Czar Nicholas I, the Grand Duke Mikhail, and completed it in 1825. It opened as a museum in 1898 as the czar's gift to the Russian public.

The street onto which the museum fronts is known as Engineer's Street. Head east on it until you reach Sadovaya Street. You'll know you're there when you spot the tracks for the city trams which run its length. Turn left and head down Sadovaya. You'll soon come upon a park situated to your left. Continue along. Opposite the gated entry to the park lies the Mikhailovsky (Engineers') Castle, painted orange. Cross the street and make your way onto the castle grounds.

Monument of A. Pushkin

Art. M.Anikushin (1957)

17. The Russian Ethnographical Museum-lngenernaya ulitsa, 4/1

The Russian Museum of Ethnography is one of the largest and famous museums in the world. Its collection contains above half a million objects and creates a broad picture of traditional life and culture of more than 150 peoples of Russia from the 18th-20th centuries.

The Museum was founded as the Ethnographic Department of the Russian Museum in 1895. In 1934 it became an independent scientific and cultural institution - the State Museum of Ethnography of the peoples of Russia, and since 1991 it carries the title the Russian Museum of Ethnography

The Monument to Peter I

Arch. F. Volkov, A. Mikhaylov, art. K.-B. Rastrclli, I. Terebenev, V. Demut-Malinovskiy (1745-1747)

In 1716, emperor Peter the Great commissioned the Italian sculptor Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli, father of his favorite architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, to design an equestrian statue in commemoration of the Russian victories over Sweden in the Great Northern War. Rastrelli worked for eight years with a model of the monument before it was approved by the emperor in 1724. But as the emperor died the following year, work halted and the sculpture's casting was only completed after the sculptor's death, by 1747,only to remain in a local warehouse,and not to be erected until 53 years later. In the meantime, Catherine the Great had ordered another monument in memory of her predecessor Peter the Great - the Bronze Horseman, the most famous statue of Peter the Great in St Petersburg. At the base of the Bronze Horseman, Catherine even linked her name with Peter the Great, an expression of Catherine's attitude toward her predecessor and her view of her own place in the line of great Russian rulers. Catherine, who, having gained her position through a palace coup, had no legal claim to the throne, was anxious to appear as Peter's rightful heir.

Only in 1800, during the reign of emperor Paul I, was the Monument to Peter I finally erected. It was placed on a pedestal faced with green, red and white-shaded Finnish marble that is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of two Russian victories over Sweden during the Great Northern War, the Battle of Poltava and the Battle of Hangö, and also an allegorical composition with trophies. The Russian victories at Poltava and near Hangö, Finland helped Russia become the dominant power in the north of the continent. Peter the Great led his troops to both victories.

By order of emperor Paul I, the inscription " To Great Grandfather from Great Grandson " (Прадеду - правнук) was made on the pedestal, a subtle but obvious mockery of the Latin " Petro Primo Catherina Secunda ", the pompous dedication by Catherine the Great on the Bronze Horseman.

During the World War II, the equestrian statue of Peter I was removed from its pedestal and sheltered from the 900-day German siege of the city. In 1945, the statue was restored and returned to its pedestal.